Improved gas-apparatus



2 SheetsSheet 1.

J. McCLEISH.

Gas Apparatus.

No. 78,307. Patented May 26, 1868.

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Gas, .Apparatus-;

No. 78,307. Y Patented May 26, 1868.

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JAMES MeCLElSH, OF NlilWi YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND E.

V. HAUGHWOUT AND COMPANY.

Letters Patent No. 78,307, dated May 26, 1868.

IMPROVED GAS-APPARATUS.

TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: 7

Be it known that I, JAMES MeCLEIsH, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented new and improvedGas-Apparatus; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof,- which will enable those skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming'part of thi-sspecification.

This invention relates to a new'a'nd improved gas-apparatus forlightlng steamboats, railway-cars, and other conveyances and movable structures. p

The object of the invention is to obtain a means for the purpose specified, which will he compact, so as not to monopolize much space, efiicient in its operation, especially as regards pressure, simple in'construction, and not liable to become deranged by use. In the accompanying drawings Figure 1, SheetNo. l, is a side view of my invention.

Figure2 is also a sigle view, opposite to that shown in fig. 1.

Figure 3 a plan or top view of the same.

Figure 4, Sheet No. 2, a, transverse vertical section of the same, taken in the line :u x, fig. 1.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

A represents a framing, which may be constructed in any prpper manner, to support the working parts of the apparatus, and i 1 B representsthe'gas-holder, formed of atop and bottom plate, a b, the bottom plate bcingfirmly secured to the lower part of the framing, as shown clearly in fig. 4. i

The two plates a b are connected by a body, 0, constructed of any suitable flexible gas-tight material, and having crimped or folded sides, retained in position by straps and stays, a (see fig. 4,),50 that the top plate may rise and fall, and the holdcr expand and contract, expand as it receives the gas, and contract as the gas is expelled from it.

,The body a of the holder, in its expanding and contracting movement, is similar to that of the bellows of an accordeon. t

On the upper surface of the top plate a of the gas-holder, there are secured longitudinally two parallel ways, dd to receive rollers c, at the lower endsof arms C, which are placedor' arranged in pairs, each pair being att aohed to a separate. shaft, 1), in the upper part 0? the framing, near its centre, and the two pairs of arms extending towards opposite ends of the same. i

To one end of each shaft D there is attached a coil or barrel-spring, and these springs are enclosed within cylindrical boxes, f, attached to one side of the framing.

These coil orbarrel-springs press the arms G down upon the top plate of the gas-holder, for the purpose of expelling the gas therefrom; and in order to insure a iiniformdown'ward pressure on the holder, supplemental arms, E,' arc-employed, which are also arranged in pairs, andatta'ched to shafts F, one alreachend of the framing A, one pair of arms being attached to each shaft.

The shafts F have each a coil or barrel-spring connected to' them at one end, said springsbeing enclosed within cylindricaLboxes g, (sec fig. 2.) v V The inner or disengaged ends of the arms E, eachpair, are connectcdby two rollers, h 7t, both of which are shown in fig 3, and the arms pass between these rollers 7:. It, the upper rollers, h, during the descent of the holder, bearing upon the arms G, and gradually passing down on the same, from their upper to their lower ends, the leverage of the arms E consequently increasing as they descend, and thereby compensating for the gradually-dscreasinig power of the springs connected withthe shafts D F.

This gradpally-increasing leverage of the arms E is an important feature of theinrention, for it is necessary that thcholder be forced down audpompr'ess'ed under'e uniform pressure, and as the springs by' which the arms 0 E are pressed or forced down gradually relax and decrease in strength, their diminishing power is compensated for by the correspondently-increasing power of the arms E.

The lower rollers,'7t, of the two pairs of arms E, are connected by cords, it, with a cord, j; and the latter attached to a windlass, G, at one side of the framing.

The cords i ij are shown in red, and when the cord )"is attached to the windlass G, and the latter turned in the right direction, the four pairs of arms, C C, EE, will be raised, and the holder consequently relieved of the pressure of said'arms, and left free to riseor expand while being inflated or receiving gas.

The rising or expanding of the holder while beinginflated is assisted by the following means:

Two cords, k k, are attached to the top-plate a of the-holder, and these cords lek are both connected to a cord, Z, which is attached to a windlnss-drum; m, at the same side of the framing A as the wincllass G.

This drum m is fitted loosely on its shaft n,'and has aeoil-spring within it, one end of which is attached to the drum, and the other end attached to the shaft, so that the spring may be wound up by turning the shaft, the drum being held bya pawl and ratchet, as shown at o, figs. 2 and 3.

When the drum m is released, the shaft n is held by a pawl and ratchet, p, and the cord Z will be wound upon the drum m, and the holder raised. 7

when the holder B is fully inflated, the cord j is detached from the windlass G, and the arms C C, E under the force of the springs attached to the shafts E, press or force down the holder, and expel the gas therefrom ns rapidly as it is consumed, and subject it to the proper pressure.

I would remark that thecords ii and k kl of the two windln'sses, pass over suitable guide-pulleys on the framing A. v t I v To the side of the framing A, opposite to'thut where the springs of the shafts D F are placed, there is secured a'windlass, H, the drum .9 of which has a coil or barrel-spring, t, within it, one end of the spring being attached to the shaft'u, on which the drum is placed loosely, and the other end attached tethe drum, (see fig. 4.)

The drum s is provided with teeth at its outer end, into which a. pinion, v, on a shaft, Lgears, said shaft being provided with a crank for the convenience of turning it.

On the drum 8, near itsinner end, there is a fusee, w, and also a ratchet, 2:, with which a pawl, 3 engages, toprevent the casual turning of the vdrum 8 under the influence of the spring t. i

To the top plate a of the gas-holder there are attached, near each end, cords, a a, which extend down and pass under pulleys, b, at the bottom of the framing, the cords a passing transversely underneath the bottom plate I) of the holder, and extending upward at the same side of the holder as the cords a.

The cords a a" are attached, one pair to a cord, 0, and the other pair to a cord, d, the cord 0 being attached to (2, and the latter conncctedto the drum 8.

The cords c 11 pass over or around suitable guide-pulleys, 2', so placed that when the drum 8 is turned, under the influence of its spring t, and thecord cl wound upon it,"the holder will be pressed down and the gas subjected to the requisite pressure, the cord cl being wound upon the fusee w, to compensate for the graduallydecreasing-power of spring t as theholder descends.

This last-described means for'compressing the holder may be used as an auxiliary to that first described, or both means may be used simultaneously, according to the pressure desired to be given the gas in the holder,

' A cord f, is attached to' the cord Z, and this cord may be attached to the drum 8, and the latter used for raising the holder while gas is being admitted into it, and this means of raising theholder maybe used in connection with the one previously described, or both may be used simultaneously, as circumstances require.

J represents the pipe, which conducts the gas into the lower'part of the holder. This pipe communicates with a box or receiver, K, with which the supply-pipe L and the pipe M to burners also communicate, each of said pipes being provided with a stop-cock, g.

The gas-holder is retained in position by having rollers, h, secured to the top plate a, said rollers having grooved peripheries, and bearing against vertical guide-rods z" in the framing. V

The receiver K, in connection with the pipes J L M, provided with stop-cocks, all arranged as shown, admit of a boat or other conveyance being lighted with gas while the holder is being filled, the cock in pipe M being so turned or regulated as to admit of a requisite supply passing through M.

When the holder is filled, the cock in pipe L is turned, to cut off the supply oi gas to the holder.

Iclaim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent-- 1. The constructing of the gas-hol ler B with rigid or inflexible top and bottom plates a b, and flexible gas-tight sides, the latter being folded or erimped, substantially in the manner asherein shown and described.

2. The pressure-arms C D, arranged and applied substantially as set forth, and used in connection with springs or equivalent weights for the purpose of exerting a uniform pressureou the gas-holder, substantially as set forth.

3. The Windlass-drum m, provided or arranged with a. coil or barrel-spring, and used in connection with suitable cords, for the purpose of raising or assisting in raising the gas holder during the process of the filling of the same, substantially as set forth.

4. The elevating of the arms C D through the medium of the'windlas's'G and cords It It 1, arranged and applied substantially as set forth.

5. The drum .9, provided with an internal coil-spring t and a fusee, w, on its exterior, in combination with the cords a a", c d, arranged as shown, or in an equivalent way, for compressing the gas-holder and enerting an equal or uniform pressure on the same.

6. The cordsf, k k, and Z, in combination with the Windlass H, all arranged to operate substantially as and for the purpose specified.

7. The receiver K, with the pipes J, L, andM communicating therewith, and proyided with stop-eocks,'and all arranged substantially as shown and described. 7 i

8. The rollers h, on the top plate a of the gas-holder, in combination with the vertical guide-rods 2", arranged substantially as shown and described, for the purpose of retaining the holder in proper position.

9. Bracing or staying theholder B by means of the straps a extending around the interior of the holder and transversely across it, as shown and described. 7

I JAMES MeCLEISH.

Witnesses:

ALEX. F. ROBERTS, Tano. Tuscan. 

